Destination: Nowhere
by Vanilla Coated Love
Summary: A new law was implemented: "that every person in possession of an Alice, of whatever form, will be put to death." Aoi was doing fine. Until one day she crossed paths with a guy named Youichi. A guy who will make her realize that there was more to life than just hiding. That there were still things worth fighting for and having control over. Something like her life; like her Alice.
1. Prologue

**Destination: Nowhere**

**Full summary:**

A new law was implemented:  
"…that every person in possession of an Alice, of whatever form, will be put to death."

The government had no other choice. They were desperate.  
Alices were on the run. There has been too much bloodshed already.  
The people finally got what they wanted. Equality.

Aoi was doing fine. Nobody knew about her true identity... until one day she crossed paths with a guy named Youichi.  
A guy who will soon make her realize that there was more to life than just hiding.  
That there were still things worth fighting for and having control over.  
Something like her life... like her Alice.

* * *

**Prologue  
Aoi Hyuuga**

I knew it was serious when they started bombing the Academy.

Rumors spread like wild fire afterwards. They said there was a spy who helped the non-Alice to get in. Some said the principals from each division of the school were bribed. One thing was certain though... the media and the government officials weren't telling us anything about the bombing. We were being controlled by the people who first promised us peace and equality.

Peace and equality my ass.

I was only eleven when the new law was implemented, two years after I left the Academy. I remembered that day perfectly. I was waiting for my favorite show to air when all of a sudden the television's screen went black and an annoying beeping sound went on.

"Dad?" I called out to my father who was in the kitchen at the time, preparing dinner. With my mom gone, he had to take the role of both mother and father.

"Yes, Aoi?"

"I think the TV's busted."

He was in the living room seconds later, wiping his hands with an old towel.

"Weird. This has never happened before." Dad kneeled and checked what was wrong with the television. He patted its side twice just like in some cartoon shows but the beeping continued. He wasn't really that much of a fixer, but he makes the best strawberry shortcakes in the world.

I covered my ears, the noise was getting unbearable. "Let's just turn it off."

Dad nodded and reached for the remote. Before he could though, it stopped.

And right there on the screen, the pretty young lady from the local news channel appeared. Something wasn't right. First, because she was in the wrong channel and second, her composed face which I gotten used to was replaced with hesitation and fear.

"What the…?" Dad flipped through the other channels. It was all her.

My eyes were glued to the screen.

"I... ju-just got word from the Prime Minister of Japan," she stuttered. Her eyes were going crazy. She wasn't like this at all. "NA, Non-Alices, got what they wanted. For years they have been fighting for the equality that they longed wished for."

Dad looked at me for a brief moment. He crossed his arms and turned his attention back to this frantic woman.

Alices. Then it finally occurred to me. This newscaster was an Alice.

"A new law will carry into effect tomorrow. That every person in possession of an Alice, of whatever form, will be put to death."

She paused.

To my left, dad swore. I sat there with wide eyes, completely mute.

"Fellow Alices, we have to fight. This is not the solution. We are not hindrances to society. We have to make them see that. Let us not be trampled. We have every right to-"

A gun shot.

The camera tipped over.

A bloodcurdling scream.

Followed by another shot. And another. And another.

Silence.

Seconds later the cartoon show I've been waiting for popped up but I didn't care.

I was hyperventilating.

She was the first Alice that was killed. And she did it to inform every single one of us. She was a hero.

_Every person in possession of an Alice, of whatever form, will be put to death._

"Dad?" I asked. I didn't even try to mask the worry in my voice. How long had it been? Seconds? Minutes? Hours? It felt like forever.

Dad grabbed me both by my shoulders and looked at me straight in the eye. "Aoi, go upstairs and pack your things. Only the important ones."

"But-"

"_Go!_"

I was young but I wasn't born yesterday.

They declared war against the Alices.

"Where are we going?" I asked half an hour later once we got inside the car.

Dad tried to keep it together as best as he could. I admired him for that because I was falling apart.

"I don't know. Nowhere, Aoi. Nowhere." He shifted gears and we drove off into the night.

…

…

…

That was four years ago. Dad and I have been on the run ever since.

* * *

Author's Notes: Yeah... it's pretty serious. Tell me what you think?

_Vanilla Coated Love_  
_(4/23/13, 7:47 pm)_


	2. Chapter 1: Four Years Later

**Author's note**: I will be following the manga's description for Youichi. Which means he'll have brown hair as opposed to the anime which is gray. Aoi and Youichi are both the same age here.

I also made minor mistakes in the prologue regarding the time Aoi left the Academy, it was a year ago, she was nine. And about the law, it's 'any form' not type. Sorry about that.

Thank you for the heart-warming reviews! :) Happy reading!

* * *

_Lost the battle, win the war.  
-Paramore_

**Chapter 1:** Four Years Later  
**Aoi Hyuuga**

I had gotten used to the nightmares to the point where I even considered the less frightening ones as dreams. The funny thing about it? I would rather stay in those nightmares than wake up to reality's hell of a knockoff version of it. At least their petrifying screams, the horror in their faces, their deaths were not real.

_At least._

It was as if someone dropped me recklessly at the bottom of the ocean and I was drowning. There was nobody there to save me. I was on my own, struggling, fighting for air. My lungs were burning. I kicked my legs and moved my arms. I did not care if I looked like a complete idiot. I had one goal. Air. To live. To get this over and done with. And once I reached the surface and gasped for it, dear sweet oxygen, I breathed in as much as I could because I knew it wouldn't last. Any second now something - a monster – would come drag me to the bottom and I was back to square one.

Sleeping was that few seconds of air. No matter how much I hated how short it was. It was that little escape, that tiny strand of hope. Whatever you call it, it was an opportunity. The monster had a name, Life. The ocean, the water, was Reality. Slowly drowning and killing me. But at the last minute, I escaped only to get pulled downwards once more. Were all my efforts a waste? Maybe. I hope not.

I breathed out and slowly opened my eyes only to be greeted by the darkness of the dawn. Beads of sweat rolled down on the side of my face to my neck as I wiped them with the back of my hand. This was a normal occurrence now; me waking up even before the sun was up. I used to scream or even worse cry during the first few months since dad and I started to move from one village or city to the other, not staying for more than a year. Sleep was both a friend and an enemy. Like I said, what I'd give for a second or two of air.

This time it was a 'considered dream'. It was more of a memory though, from four years ago. The pretty news anchor. Her words echoed inside my head:

_A new law will carry into effect tomorrow._

_That every person in possession of an Alice, of whatever form, will be put to death._

_Fellow Alices, we have to fight._

Michiko Tanaka. I Googled her name once my father and I made a pit stop a day after she was killed... after her announcement. Miss Tanaka had the Charm Alice which was perfect for her job. She graduated in the Academy seven years ago and attained her degree in a college just outside of Tokyo. She was only twenty five.

I mourned for her, a stranger. I even lit a candle for her when dad and I were finally settled in Kyoto (we stayed there for a good five months and four days). I thought of her family. Was she married? Engaged? Maybe had a boyfriend? Most probably. She was beautiful after all. Her parents must have been Alices too. Did she have siblings? Oh God. What if she was a mother herself? I wondered what they were feeling. Compared to my sorrow, I bet... I knew they were breaking.

Questions, possibilities gushed inside my head. It was enough to make any eleven year old lose his or her mind. It was thanks to my dad who helped me keep it all together.

_And my brother_, I thought. He was still in the Academy with most of Japan's Alice population.

He was safe... for now.

I sat up straight and stifled a yawn. I weighed my options; go back to sleep or face the monster. I went with the latter.

I got up and changed into a plain white shirt and my favorite pair of jogging pants. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. My black roots were starting to show. I narrowed my eyes and sighed, I just dyed my hair brown a week ago. I carefully put my contacts on, to hide the signature Hyuuga red eyes.

A lot has changed in the past four years.

When they implemented that law; that was when I kissed my childhood goodbye. I was forced to grow up.

I left a note saying that I went for a jog and might go to the market to buy ingredients for lunch and dinner. It didn't matter though. I always came back before my dad woke up. But just in case.

_I won't be long. I'll be back. And yes, dad, I have my phone and gun with me._

_Be safe,_  
_Aoi_

I tied my hair, put my running shoes on and stretched. Minutes later, I quietly slipped out of the front door of our little house in this peaceful province that I was trying to get used to. I always started the day with a run. I needed to clear my head, if that was even possible.

_Fellow Alices, we have to fight._

I always wondered why I never drowned. It would have been easier. But no, drowning meant losing. It meant giving up. And I'm not that kind of person now.

This was something worth fighting for.

I started to jog.

* * *

**Additional note**: I'll try to make the succeeding chapters longer.

_Vanilla Coated Love  
(4/30/13, 3:01 PM)_


	3. Chapter 2: The Market Place

_They say before you start a war,_  
_you better know what you're fighting for._  
_-The Cab_

**Chapter 2**: The Market Place  
**Aoi Hyuuga**

I was at war with myself.

And I was ninety nine percent sure that I was losing. How about the remaining percentage, you ask?

What's keeping me from that hundred was the fact I was still breathing, that's my one percent. Initially, I was like a parent, having such high expectations on such a lonely proportion that maybe the pressure was too much and the end result would not be what I originally wanted. But I learned from that. Believe it or not. Years of experience, I suppose, did the trick. Listening to the radio late at night for news even though my father forbid me from doing so, talking to our neighbors to the point where we had to leave because they were starting to suspect, searching the garbage bins outside of convenient stores past midnight for newspapers from the day before and many more have, for now, taught me two things.

First, you do not expect, you can only hope.

And lastly, it does not end with hope, action follows.

Don't just sit there and watch.

I was not just curious nor nosy. I wanted to know what was going on in this country. And something had to be done. The world was not some blockbuster movie and the people were not fictional characters. This was real. This was happening.

But in my current position, from being torn with my urge to fight for justice, for what I believe was right, to running from everything with my father just to ensure my safety... it's not that easy.

It's far from easy.

Especially for a fifteen year old girl.

I huffed, trying to shake the thoughts away that have been hunting me for the past few years. Usually running helped me calm my nerves down. Keyword: usually. But not today, obviously not today. Maybe it was this new town, the atmosphere's different, the people are... different. It was like they knew something was off with the father and daughter who recently moved in two weeks ago.

"This is not helping," I said to myself as I turned right, following my usual route back to the house which was on the very top of a hill.

As I reached its base, I jogged in place looking up. It has been an hour since I left and the sun finally realized that it was time to wake up and hit the horizon.

_Right on time_, I thought.

A second later, I started to jog uphill. It wasn't high but I could still feel Gravity doing its purpose. Pulling me down every step of the way as I went up, rooting me in place. My muscles didn't hurt as much when I first started. Dad was the one who suggested it to me. I thought he was simply helping me clear my mind off of things. He wasn't. He was training me. I realized that a few weeks after when he told me he was going to teach me self defense. It tested not only my strength (which I didn't know I had) but my patience and perseverance as well. I've never seen my father so determined in my life. It wasn't like him to be like that. It took me by surprise, actually.

So when I asked him how he knew all those while we were preparing to spar, he simply answered, "Your mother. She was always stronger than me and of course I had to do something about that. I trained by myself but she found out about it. Made fun of me at first but she ended up teaching me what she knew."He had a smile on his face, as he secured his headgear.

"And now you're passing it down to me. What you learned from her," I said.

"That's how it's supposed to be, Aoi." He grinned at me.

My mother died a year after I was born. I don't have any memory of her but dad had a photograph of her in his wallet. She was breathtakingly beautiful. Dad also told me stories about her, how brave she was and that they went to the Academy together. She used to go to missions for the Academy when they were in high school. They were already going out then and it worried my father to the core. I never had a full grasp about that idea. Why did the students with powerful Alices had to go through with that? Shouldn't the school be taking care of them and not risk their lives for their dirty work? I dared not ask dad those questions. I only listened when he told stories about mom. It was a rare opportunity and I did not have the heart to interrupt.

I would never forget that day. It was the first time dad actually smiled since the announcement of that stupid law.

I had to smile back as I fixed my stance. "I miss her too." I paused for a second or two. "Now how about I kick your butt?"

Good times. Good times.

I started to slow my pace as the house came into view. I kicked my shoes off leaving them on the porch. Once inside I went upstairs to my bedroom to wash my face and change into a new set of clothes. And just to be sure I checked up on my dad if he was still there. I could hear his snores steps away from his room.

Still asleep. Of course.

I shook my head and rolled my eyes. The note I've written was right where I left it, untouched.

I readied myself for my little trip to the market place and with one last glance at the empty halls of the place I could never call home, I was, for the second time of the day, headed for the door.

* * *

One of the first things that I noticed when we moved in was that people in this town start the day pretty early. They were quite the morning persons. It was only a quarter past seven but most of the the stalls were already open. Mothers and a few number of daughters holding baskets were out and about buying, some bargaining for lower prices.

But what I liked the most about this was the gossip. Females were experts. They don't just buy, pay, and leave. They talk, buy, talk, pay, talk, and leave. They were better than the news who practically tell us nothing.

"Ah, good morning, Yuki."

Yuki. That was my name here.

I smiled back at her and went over her stand of fruits. "Good morning, Mrs. Fujita."

"How are you? I saw you running on my way here this morning. You sure are an athletic one, eh? Do you need anything?"

Mrs. Fujita was in her late-thirties and she lived with her family in our neighborhood. She was also the first (and only) person who welcomed us when dad and I arrived.

"I'm doing good. Really? I didn't notice you. I'm sorry," I laughed as I answered her questions. "Oh, I'll get-"

"Let me guess, strawberries?" she asked, her tone all motherly.

I raised both my shoulders, surrendering. "You know me."

"Your name should have been Ichigo, darling. You go pick the ones you like."

_My name was Ichigo. Four cities ago._

She turned her attention to a woman who just arrived. "Choko! I haven't seen you in a while. How may I help you?" she asked.

I wondered why there was no reply when, from the corner of my eye, I realized she was looking at me. Right. Who wouldn't act cautious around the suspicious new girl? Maybe except for Mrs. Fujita. These people have known each other for years. And ever since four years ago, the people who usually moved to new places were the ones who were running away from the government. Nobody was leaving for the sake of leaving. Majority, the Non-Alices, stayed were they were.

I heard Mrs. Fujita cleared her throat as I busied myself with the strawberries. "Choko?"

The woman beside me lowered her voice but I heard her clearly. "Did you hear?"

_Now we're getting somewhere._

Mrs. Fujita knew this as well. "About what?"

"The bombings in the Academy," Choko said.

I froze, nearly dropping a strawberry. I easily recovered a heartbeat later as I controlled myself. That was close. A single reaction could have blown my cover.

"Dear heavens, no. What happened?" Complete and utter worry was present in her eyes.

"My husband just came back from Tokyo last night. There was one a month ago and another three days ago," she explained. "He said officials were trying to break in. They succeeded."

At her last statement, I held my breath.

"But that school's heavily protected!"

"I know. My hunch is that there was a spy."

"How about the children? The students?"

I thought I was imagining things when I heard Choko fighting back a sob. "A bloodbath. Nobody knows the number of survivors. It's horrible. It didn't even make the news. They were just children. This is ridiculous. Alices or not they were children."

Mrs. Fujita covered her mouth with one hand and reached the other to comfort her friend who was breaking down.

Amidst of all these, there were still people who care. People who do not look at you and question at the back of their whether or not you're an Alice.

I had enough. I couldn't take it anymore.

I gathered up the courage to speak. "I'll take these, Mrs. Fujita."

As if forgetting that I was there, she turned to me, lost. "Ah, of course of course, Yuki."

I handed her the exact amount, thanked her, and turned to leave.

"Yuki."

I stopped on my tracks and gripped my basket.

It wasn't Mrs. Fujita, it was Choko.

I craned my neck and met her gaze. "Yes?"

Her words sent shivers down my spine.

"You take care now."

* * *

I reached the house earlier than usual. My hands were shaking as I took out my keys. I still couldn't shake of the feeling that Choko _knew_. Thoughts, images and voices bombarded my mind.

_A bloodbath._

_Alices or not they were children._

_You take care now._

I was hyperventilating. I needed to get inside.

It was only when I used my key when I realized that there was something wrong.

The door wasn't locked. I'd bet my life that I did not leave it that way.

I dropped my basket and ran inside the house.

My note was gone.

So was my dad.

* * *

**Author's notes:** Ironic how I'm posting this chapter on Father's day. This isn't on purpose. OTL Pardon my typos and errors if there were a couple that I've overlooked. Care to leave a review?

-_VCL (6/16/2013)_


End file.
